Former Spokane reservation resident sentenced to 30 years

SPOKANE  A former Spokane Indian Reservation resident was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday following previous guilty verdicts on four sexual abuse of children charges.

Valentin Cardenas Gonzales, 75, formerly of Ford, will also face lifetime court supervision, should he be released from a federal prison, court orders from U.S. District Court Judge Thomas O. Rice show.

“I commend the efforts of the law enforcement officers with the Spokane Tribal Police Department and the Special Agents with the FBI who worked on this case,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington Michael C. Ormsby. “Their tireless efforts resulted in the successful prosecution of Valentin Cardenas Gonzales and prevented the minor victims from any possibility of being re-victimization.

Gonzales faced several federal charges relating to his involvement with three minor children from the Spokane Indian Reservation, Ormsby said. He was found guilty in September on two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor and two charges of abusive sexual contact with a minor.

“Prosecuting sexual abuse and sexual contact crimes are a priority for the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Washington,” Ormsby said. “Today’s sentence plainly reflects the seriousness of these sorts of crimes.”

Should Gonzales be released from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender and will be barred from traveling across or living on the Spokane reservation. Gonzales is not a tribal member.